HI307 MEDIA HISTORY: Four Modern RevolutionsTV Soaps & Reality TV Soap opera – network radio from...

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SILS - Spring 2020 HI307 MEDIA HISTORY: Four Modern Revolutions Graham Law Broadcasting (2): Television

Transcript of HI307 MEDIA HISTORY: Four Modern RevolutionsTV Soaps & Reality TV Soap opera – network radio from...

Page 1: HI307 MEDIA HISTORY: Four Modern RevolutionsTV Soaps & Reality TV Soap opera – network radio from 1930s – network TV from 1950s – open-ended serial drama – brief, frequent

SILS - Spring 2020

HI307

MEDIA HISTORY:

Four Modern Revolutions Graham Law

Broadcasting (2): Television

Page 2: HI307 MEDIA HISTORY: Four Modern RevolutionsTV Soaps & Reality TV Soap opera – network radio from 1930s – network TV from 1950s – open-ended serial drama – brief, frequent

Structure of today’s presentation

I Television Technology – Precursors & terminology

– Early options

– Television timeline

II Television Sociology – Commercial & Public service models

– TV programs/genres

– TV against Radio & Cinema

– Mass Audiences: TV Soaps & Reality TV

Page 3: HI307 MEDIA HISTORY: Four Modern RevolutionsTV Soaps & Reality TV Soap opera – network radio from 1930s – network TV from 1950s – open-ended serial drama – brief, frequent

I. Television Technology

Page 4: HI307 MEDIA HISTORY: Four Modern RevolutionsTV Soaps & Reality TV Soap opera – network radio from 1930s – network TV from 1950s – open-ended serial drama – brief, frequent

Precursors & Terminology

Precursors Korn’s wired photo-telegraph (1900s)

Low’s wireless TeleVista (1910s)

cinematography capturing/showing moving pictures

sound synchronization

camera & editing techniques

narrative & discursive contents

radio broadcasting service production companies/corporations

transmitting equipping

program form/cont

patterns of reception (public/private)

Terminology television

(Grk.) far + (Lat.) seeing

“ugly because of ill-breeding” (TSE)

televisor/television set

(tele)viewer

broadcasting

(agric.) radial seed sowing

station/channel/program(me)

Page 5: HI307 MEDIA HISTORY: Four Modern RevolutionsTV Soaps & Reality TV Soap opera – network radio from 1930s – network TV from 1950s – open-ended serial drama – brief, frequent

Early technical options Mechanical image scanning

– Germany: P.G. Nipkow

– UK: John Logie Baird

– whizzing disks & mirror drums

Electrical image scanning – Russia: Vladimir Zworykin

– US: Philo Farnsworth

– silent & light

1934 BBC competition between 2 systems:

mechanical scanning = “a bit like using Morse code

when you knew that next door you could telephone”

Other – scan lines

UK 405 (MEMI)

USA/Japan 525 (NTSC)

most Europe 625 (SECAM)

– receivers cathode ray tube (CRT)

phosphorescent screen

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Rough TV Timeline

Technical – cable TV, 1940s

– portable TVs, 1950s

– color TV, 1960s

– video recorders, 1970s

– pocket TVs, 1980s

– satellite TV, 1980s

– digital broadcasting, 2000s

– internet TV, 2000s

Institutional – experimental broadcasts from 1920s

– WGRB TV in New York from 1928

– Baird system at BBC from 1929

– pilot broadcasts from 1930s

– BBC, EMI system, from 1936

– US at World’s Fair, 1939

– delays in mass use due to

– economic depression

– Second World War

– resistance from radio industry

– mass medium from 1950s

– BBC & ITV in Britain

– 4 main networks in US

– DuMont, NBC, CBS, ABC

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II. Television Sociology

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Commercial & Public Service Models (1950s)

Commercial – United States of American

• under FCC

– 4 major networks

– DuMont (backed by Paramount)

– NBC, CBS, ABC (radio operators)

– minimal control of content • obscenity, defamation, …

– minimal control of advertising • sponsorship permitted

• product placement permitted

• children’s advertising permitted

– entertainment focus

Public service – United Kingdom

– BBC

– funded by licence

– ITV (Independent Television)

– funded by advertising

– regional franchises

– both regulated in public interest – by BBC Board & ITA

– re: genres of content – education, drama, new, …

– re: advertising mode – “natural breaks”

– cultivation focus

Page 9: HI307 MEDIA HISTORY: Four Modern RevolutionsTV Soaps & Reality TV Soap opera – network radio from 1930s – network TV from 1950s – open-ended serial drama – brief, frequent

TV against

Cinema & Radio

Cinema – USA

• theatres: 1948=18th; 1956=14th

• visits p/ week: 1948=90m; 1956=47m

– UK visits per year, millions

– <<<<<<

Radio – retreat to

– kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms

– cars & other vehicles

– outdoors, incl. the beach

– focus on low-cost programs – recorded music

– chat shows

– game & quiz shows

TV – USA

– annual TV set production: – 1948= 200th; 1952=15m

– population penetration: – 1948= 0.4%; 1952=34%

– UK – TV licenses:

– 1948=20th; 1951=1m; 1955=4.5m

Page 10: HI307 MEDIA HISTORY: Four Modern RevolutionsTV Soaps & Reality TV Soap opera – network radio from 1930s – network TV from 1950s – open-ended serial drama – brief, frequent

TV Functions/Programs

Main content categories (1960s) – news & weather bulletins

– social and political documentaries

– live performances (musical, theatrical, …)

– live events (sporting, political, …)

– TV drama

• soap opera/western/crime/fantasy/horror/comedy/…

– commercial advertising

– music shows

– sports shows

– quiz & game shows

– chat shows

– rerun movies

– comedy shows

– variety shows

– popular music shows

– religious broadcasting

– schools broadcasting

– children’s programming

• cartoons, game & quiz, educational

TV roles – transmission by broadcaster

– reception by viewer

TV Content – scripted/unscripted/mixed

– studio/location/mixed

– live/recorded/repeat & syndication

Social Function – informational

– educational

– aesthetic (art/entertainment)

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Mass Audiences:

TV Soaps & Reality TV

Soap opera

– network radio from 1930s

– network TV from 1950s

– open-ended serial drama

– brief, frequent episodes

– romantic to realist

– US Guiding Light (1937-)

– UK Coronation Street (1960-)

– daytime to peaktime

– US As the World Turns (1956-)

– Australia Neighbours (1985-)

– soap opera as substitute reality

– ratings peak in 1980s

Reality TV from late 1990s, already peaked

last stand of the networks? lay “stars”

ultra-personal content

participant exhibitionism

audience voyeurism

the “vote-off” (serial scapegoats)

docu-soaps Driving School UK, Airport UK

emergency shows Rescue 911 US, Police Camera Action UK

confessional talk shows Jerry Springer US, Kilroy UK

“reality” game shows – UK Ch. 4 Big Brother

“reality” talent shows – US FOX American Idol

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Discussion Session

Over to You

Questions & Comments